ACCESS & SUCCESS: POLICY
New tool for policy-makers: The Educational Needs Index
Policy-makers need tools and data to help them understand how demographic shifts and economic issues affect education. The Education Needs Index is a county-level study of
educational, economic, and population pressures that influence educational policy and planning at local, regional, and state levels. The index assesses conditions and trends for all U.S. counties and allows peer comparisons across a variety of indicators. More...
STUDENT SUCCESS: ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Degree completion can be a complex path to success
Pathways to college are increasingly more complex now than in past decades. More undergraduates attend more than one institution, and community college transfer rates are rising. Dual-enrollment while in high school and credit-by-examination also add to this dynamic mix of pathways. A new Department of Education report, The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion from High School through College, follows students to determine persistence to the second year of college.
ACCESS: INFORMATION & ENCOURAGEMENT
Case study highlights MSU outreach to Latinos
For every 100 Latino elementary school students, 48 drop out of high school. Only 15 percent earn a postsecondary degree. Recognizing a need, Missouri State University (MSU) established an Hispanic community outreach program. The Palms Project has published a case study on MSU's outreach efforts.
ACCESS: FINANCIAL AID
Aid to wealthy students is up, flat for low-income students
In 2000 students from wealthy families received much more financial aid from private colleges and universities than in 1993, according to a policy brief from Education Sector, a new Washington-based think tank. The aid offered to students from low-income families, according to the brief, remained relatively stagnant.
ACCESS: INFORMATION, ENCOURAGEMENT, ACADEMIC PREPARATION
Advanced Placement: Scores improve for many
Advanced Placement (AP) courses can jump-start students' college experience by providing academic preparation and college credit. A new College Board report shows the percentage of all 2005 high school students who scored at least a 3 on an AP test was 14.1 percent, up from 10.2 percent in
2000. Lumina Foundation supports efforts to expand AP course offerings in Indianapolis. More...
ACCESS: ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Academic confidence linked to academic success
What factors influence academic success and college readiness among underserved students? A new report suggests that a student's perceived academic competence may be more influential than student engagement in boosting achievement. The MDRC report, School Context, Student Attitudes and Behavior, and Academic Achievement: An Exploratory Analysis, suggests that the earlier schools and teachers build students' confidence in their academic ability, the better off students will be. |
