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Attainment | Help wanted: College-educated workers
Current middle-class jobs are becoming less attainable without education or training beyond high school. At the same time, the United States is not producing college-educated workers fast enough to replace retiring baby boomers. These trends translate into an immense education supply problem, according to Help Wanted: Postsecondary Education and Training Required. Co-author Anthony Carnevale of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce makes the case that postsecondary education is imperative for socioeconomic mobility. Listen to this podcast.

Productivity | More graduates for stronger a workforce
More students are enrolling in U.S. colleges and universities, yet the proportion of students earning a postsecondary degree or credential continues to decline. Four Steps to Finishing First in Higher Education Practical Guides for Boosting Productivity focuses on four areas where states can drive a more productive higher education system to improve degree completion while maintaining quality. Also, listen to state and university leaders explain why it is imperative the United States improve college productivity.

3 critical outcomes lead to achievement of the big goal.

Preparation Students are prepared academically, financially and socially for success in education beyond high school.

Success Higher education attainment rates are improved significantly.

Productivity Higher education productivity is increased to expand capacity and serve more students.

 

Accountability | (Not) making the grade 
If states want to improve their K-12 education systems and ensure students are better prepared for college and careers, they must abolish the rules, regulations, and bureaucracies that deter innovation, says a new report that measures how well states to foster education innovation. Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Innovation grades states in eight areas, ranging from the pipeline to postsecondary education to school finance and data.

College readiness | An urban lifeline
In many states, the population groups projected to grow the fastest are the same ones with the lowest levels of academic success. A new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research examines the efforts of the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) to close these achievement gaps. President Obama recently announced plans to replicate HCZ, which provides cradle-to-college educational and social services in 20 high-poverty cities.

Access | Documentary chronicles Latino students 
Young Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population - and the least likely to attain a college degree. Unless this trend is reversed, America won’t have enough qualified workers to perform future jobs. Rising by Degrees, an American RadioWorks documentary, explores the struggles of Latino students to increase their presence in higher education.

Research | Progress report on Western states
A recent publication from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education documents the higher education progress of Western states. Estimates for 2006 show that out of 100 ninth graders in the West, 29 do not finish high school and 31 fail to go on to college. Read Benchmarks: WICHE Region 2009.

Preparation | Study: States set bar too low
An analysis from NCES compares state standards to the National Assessment of Educational Standards (NAEP). Findings show that most states set their proficiency levels lower than NAEP’s “basic” level and that many states have actually lowered their standards. Read Mapping State Proficiency Standards Onto NAEP Scales: 2005-2007.

Engagement | Report: Students more engaged 
The 2009 report from the National Survey of Student Engagement shows that colleges and universities have steadily improved in engaging more students in quality learning experiences. Read Assessment for Improvement: Tracking Student Engagement Over Time.

Effective practices | Paying for college success
Financial pressures and inadequate academic preparation can deter low-income students from completing a certificate or attaining a college degree. A new brief, from MDRC, examines the relationship between additional financial aid and academic achievement and whether performance-based scholarships-in which aid is contingent on meeting academic benchmarks-are an effective incentive to help low-income students earn a postsecondary degree.  

Equity | Intervention strategies key 
The Equity Resource Center, from Achieving the Dream , offers new tools and resources for designing, enacting, and evaluating strategies to close the achievement gaps for low-income students and students of color. Also new: Three case studies spotlighting successful interventions at Houston Community College, Jackson Community College and Valencia Community College.

Engagement | The connection gap
Students who enroll part time at a community college experience a connection gap while on campus. They are less likely to be engaged than their full-time counterparts and are at a greater risk of dropping out. Read more findings in the latest Community College Survey of Student Engagement.

Workforce needs | Falling behind our parents
The United States and Germany are the only two nations in which individuals aged 25 to 34 have attained less education than their parents’ generation, according to a report from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. U.S. students also are less likely to earn degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics - skills that are in high demand in the digital age.

Accountability | A college customer bill of rights
Customer focus is prevalent in most sectors of the economy, yet often overlooked in higher education, says Putting the Customer First In College. The white paper, from the Center for American Progress, recommends creating an Office of Consumer Protection in Higher Education to encourage colleges to produce and disseminate better data on how well they actually serve students.

Data | Measuring student achievement
As states look for ways to grow their economies, improving the performance of postsecondary institutions is integral to their efforts. In many instances, this work is impeded because of inadequate data. Measuring Student Achievement at Postsecondary Institutions, from the National Governors Association, outlines four steps governors and others can take to design more effective postsecondary education data systems.

Affordability | A primer on college finance
The current fiscal environment has elevated discussions on how institutions manage their expenditures. Paying for College: Distinguishing Between Cost and Price, by Sandy Baum, lays the groundwork for constructive efforts to hold down costs without compromising quality or educational opportunities.

Degree completion | New national database
Identifying what works for Latino students in higher education is an important step to improving degree completion and producing graduates who can succeed in a competitive workforce. Growing What Works, from Excelencia in Education, provides a searchable catalog of college and university programs and practices proven to accelerate Latinos’ college completion rates.

news Grants to boost productivity As part of its goal to raise U.S. college-completion rates, Lumina Foundation for Education will provide up to $9 million to help seven states accelerate efforts to improve productivity in their higher education systems. more » Lumina awards KH2GO grants Lumina recently awarded grants for the next phase of the KnowHow2GO (KH2GO) initiative. The grants will help KH2GO states develop sustainable, high-quality student service and advocacy networks. more » TodaysGIBill.org connects veterans to college TodaysGIBill.org, from the American Council on Education, provides college guidance and information to help veterans enroll in and succeed in higher education. more » College data and more College InSight, from the Institute for College Access & Success, offers online information about U.S. colleges and universities, including data on costs, diversity, graduation rates and student-success rates. more » Lumina announces third-quarter grants Lumina Foundation awarded grants totaling almost $17 million in the third quarter of 2009. The grants reflect Lumina’s focus on three primary higher education outcomes: student preparation, degree completion, and productivity. more » Call to action The National Center for Business Champions is seeking nominations of business leaders who use their influence to strengthen the workforce by supporting efforts that promote increased degree attainment. more »

data points Parental influence Seventy-seven percent of Latinos ages 16 to 25 say their parents think going to college is the most important thing to do after high school. Source: Latinos and Education: Explaining the Attainment Gap » Foster youth and financial aid Of identified former foster youth who applied for financial aid in California in 2008-09, 84 percent were eligible for a Pell Grant, 17 percent received or were offered a Cal Grant, and nine percent received a Chafee Grant. Less than four percent of foster youth who completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid received all three grants. Source: Hopes & Hurdles: California Foster Youth and College Financial Aid » Campus connections Traditional-age students are more likely to use social networking tools, such as Twitter or Facebook, to communicate with other students, instructors, or college staff about college coursework (27 percent of traditional-age students use these tools versus 49 percent of nontraditional-age students who never do so). Source: Community College Survey of Student Engagement »