Retention

Lutz Berkner
MPR Associates
2150 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 849-4942

Kristin D. Conklin Senior Policy Analyst, Education Division National Governors' Association Washington, D.C. (202) 624-5300

Tom Furlong Senior VP for Baccalaureate Programs and University Partnerships St. Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL (727) 712-5270

Jim Jacobs Director, Center for Workforce Development and Policy, Macomb Community College Associate Director, Community College Research Center, Columbia University Clinton Township, MI (810) 286-2119

National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education Copy
The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education promotes public policies that enhance Americans' opportunities to pursue and achieve high-quality education and training beyond high school.

N. Joyce Payne Director, Office of Advancement of Public Black Colleges and Minority and Human Resources Programs National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges Washington, DC (202) 478-6049

Pathways to College
The Pathways to College Network is a national alliance of organizations and funders dedicated to focusing research-based knowledge and resources on improving college preparation, access, and success for underserved students, including low-income students, underrepresented minorities, first-generation students, and students with disabilities.
The website offers publications and resources that are useful to reporters.
Pathways to College

Richard H. Hersh
Senior Fellow, Council for Aid to Education
North Haven, CT
(203) 407-1866

Michael Nettles
Policy Evaluation and Research Center
Educational Testing Service
Rosedale Rd. MS 19-R, R-028
Princeton, NJ 08541
(609) 734-1236

Rewarding Progress, Reducing Debt

Can supplemental financial aid that is tied to academic performance help students complete their college studies? MDRC evaluated an innovative strategy: granting performance-based scholarships. And as with its program in Louisiana, an Ohio demonstration project also is showing promise. MDRC, October 2010

A Stronger Nation through Higher Education

In 2007, 37.7 percent of Americans between the ages of 25 and 64 held a two- or four-year college degree. For 2008, the most recent year for which data are available, the number is 37.9 percent.While the proportion of Americans with college degrees increased between 2007 and 2008, the level of increase is not nearly enough to reach the Lumina Foundation's Big Goal. If the rate of increase over the past eight years continues, the U.S. will reach a higher education attainment level of only 46.6 percent by 2025, and the shortfall in college graduates will be just under 23 million.

Degrees of Success
More students are starting college with plans to major in science and technology fields, but a new study released by the University of California at Los Angeles Higher Education Research Institute finds that their completion rates are lagging especially among minority students. UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, Feb. 17, 2010

Calculating Cost- Returns for Investments in Student Success
A new report released by Jobs for the Future and the Delta Project on Post Secondary Costs Productivity and Accountability examines how cost-effective first-year programs are in keeping students in college. Jobs for the Future and the Delta Project on Post Secondary Costs Productivity and Accountability, Jan. 6, 2010

Benchmarking the Success of Latina and Latino Students in STEM to Acheive National Graduation Goals
The report identifies 25 Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in five states as potential exemplers of effective practices for increasing the number of Latina and Latino bachelor's degree holders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This report is the first in a series based on a study funded by the National Science Foundation. USC Rossier School of Education, Jan. 5, 2010

Charting a Necessary Path: The Baseline Report of the Access to Success Initiative
A new report released by the Education Trust finds that low- income and minority students enroll in and graduate from four-year programs at disproportionately lower rates than do other high school graduates in their respective states. The Education Trust, Dec. 4, 2009

Assessment for Improvement: Tracking Student Engagement Over Time 2009
A national survey released shows that a variety of colleges and universities have shown steady improvement in the quality of undergraduate education, as measured by students’ exposure to and involvement in effective educational practices. The 2009 report from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), Assessment for Improvement: Tracking Student Engagement Over Time, details results from a 2009 survey of 360,000 students attending 617 U.S. colleges and universities, and it includes a special look at trends in student engagement at more than 200 of those schools that had four to six year’s worth of data going back to 2004. National Survey of Student Engagement, Nov. 9, 2009

Getting to the Finish Line College Enrollment and Graduation: A Seven Year Longitudinal Study of the Boston Public Schools Class 2000 pdf
See this report on the seven-year college completion rates for Boston students. The Center for Labor Market Studies Northeastern University and Boston Private Industry Council prepared the study for the city.
1/8/2009

Postsecondary Institutions in the United States: Fall 2006 pdf
< The National Center for Education Statistics analyzes the graduation completion rates for higher education institutions in 2006 and the type of degrees conferred
National Center for Education Statistics - Laura G. Knapp, Janice E. Kelly-Reid, Scott A. Ginder, Elise Miller, 9/11/2007

Graduation Rates 101: Know Your Denominator
Presentation from Laura Horn, a presenter at EWA's 2007 national seminar, explains factors that aren't considered in college graduation rates.
MPR Associates - Laura Horn , 6/14/2007

Scores Show Students Aren’t Ready For College

Three out of four graduates aren’t fully prepared for college and likely need to take at least one remedial class, according to the latest annual survey from the nonprofit testing organization ACT, which measured half of the nation’s high school seniors in English, math, reading and science proficiency. Ben Wolfgang, Washington Times, Aug. 17, 2011

Ohio Universities Told to Develop 3-Year Degrees

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has ordered state universities to investigate ways for students to get a bachelor's degree in three years. The hope is that three-year degrees will help save students money and get them into the job market more quickly. Larry Abramson, NPR, April 19, 2011

Incentives Offered to Raise College Graduation Rates

In what amounts to a “Race to the Top” for higher education, the Obama administration is offering competitive grants and a new “tool kit” to help states increase their college completion rates. Tamar Lewin, New York Times, March 22, 2011

Record Level of Stress Found in College Freshmen

The emotional health of college freshmen — who feel buffeted by the recession and stressed by the pressures of high school — has declined to the lowest level since an annual survey of incoming students started collecting data 25 years ago. Tamar Lewin, New York Times, Jan. 26, 2011

Hurdles Remain For Raising Number of College Graduates, Even With Free Tuition

More than 80 percent of Kalamazoo Public Schools graduates have taken advantage of free or vastly reduced tuition to any public college or university in Michigan through the Kalamazoo Promise, which costs the anonymous donors about $20 million a year. But just 54 percent of the first recipients are either still in college or have graduated. David Jesse, Hechinger Report, Dec. 17, 2010

Report: College dropouts cost taxpayers billions

Dropping out of college after a year can mean lost time, burdensome debt and an uncertain future for students. Now there's an estimate of what it costs taxpayers. And it runs in the billions. States appropriated almost $6.2 billion for four-year colleges and universities between 2003 and 2008 to help pay for the education of students who did not return for year two, a report released Monday says. Eric Gorski, The Associated Press, Oct. 11, 2010

When an A isn't enough
Despite earning good grades and taking honors courses in high school, many students find themselves ill-prepared for college. Some blame grade inflation or unrealistic expectations at the next level. Charlie Boss, The Columbus Dispatch, Aug. 22, 2010

The Retention Guru
Two decades ago, Xavier University could only count on three of every four freshmen returning for sophomore year. Even fewer made it to graduation. Retention is getting more attention with the tight economy and national leaders urging colleges to graduate more students. But at Xavier this is not new. Jennifer Epstein, Inside Higher Ed, June 30, 2010

Three-year bachelor's degree gains popularity
About a dozen, mostly small, U.S. colleges and universities now offer formal routes to earning a degree in three years instead of the usual four or five. And many others, including the University of California, are studying ways to start such an option. Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times, April 26, 2010

Improving College Completion in the South, One Student at a Time
Colleges that have succeeded in improving their students' retention and graduation rates tend to have two things in common, says a new report on promising practices for increasing college completion.Andrea Fuller, The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 14, 2010 (subscription required)

The Death of Liberal Arts
There's no denying that the fight between the cerebral B.A. vs. the practical B.S. is heating up. For now, practicality is the frontrunner, especially as the recession continues to hack into the budgets of both students and the schools they attend. Nancy Cook, Newsweek, April 5, 2010

The Human Element
Douglas E. Hersh's close crop of auburn hair and neatly trimmed goatee are clearly visible in an expandable window on my desktop. A growing body of research has all but obliterated the notion that distance education is inherently less effective than classroom education. But Hersh believes there is another major factor driving the gap between retention rates in face-to-face programs and those in the rapidly growing world of distance education: the lack of a human touch. Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed, March 28, 2010

Women's colleges in N.J. look to define same-sex education
Jessica Ringo’s grandmother went to the College of Saint Elizabeth. So did her mother and two aunts. But when Ringo decided to enroll at the private women’s college in Morris County a few years ago, her friends at Phillipsburg High School looked at her like she was crazy. An all-women’s college? In the 21st century? Really? In an era when female students outnumber men on U.S. college campuses, women’s colleges are looking for ways to redefine same-sex education for the 21st century. Kelly Heyboer, The Star-Ledger, March 28, 2010

Minority Report
American universities are accepting more minorities than ever. Graduating them is another matter. Evan Thomas and Pat Wingert, Newsweek, Feb. 22, 2010

Possible 5-year limit to get UT bachelor's degree
Jokes about being on the five-year plan to complete four years of college could become a reality. A task force recommended requiring students at the University of Texas to complete their bachelor's degrees in 10 semesters or five years. Education Week (subscription required), Feb. 18, 2010

Holding Colleges Accountable: Is Success Measurable?
With almost 40% of the nation's college-age students in some form of post-secondary education — and tuition costs as high as they've ever been — we don't really have a handle on what students learn at university. Or whether they're learning anything at all. Kevin Carey, policy director at the Washington think tank Education Sector, believes that many colleges do a bad job of 1) teaching students and 2) getting them to graduate. An essay he wrote for the December issue of Democracy is making waves in the higher-ed world because it describes how a lot of colleges are keeping student-assessment data confidential. He spoke with TIME education correspondent Gilbert Cruz about why parents — and public officials — should demand more accountability from colleges. Gilbert Cruz, Time Magazine, Jan. 8, 2010

Are American Students Lazy?
Gather faculty members together and it's not hard to get them talking about the ways students disappoint. They text in class, expect extensions for no good reason, and act surprised when they don't earn A's. But when it comes to work ethic and manners, are there some students who -- on average -- don't disappoint? Kara Miller thinks so -- and her comparison of American students (who continually disappoint) and foreign students (who don't) has set off quite a discussion in Boston. You can read Miller's editorial here. You can also read one professor's rebuttal of Miller's column here. Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Education, Jan. 4, 2010

Ariz. universities aim to offer faster way to graduate
In an effort to move students through college faster and attract more adults, the state's three universities are looking for more ways to give students course credit for what they already know. The universities are expanding the number of exams they accept that allow students to test out of introductory college courses. The change means ambitious students could shave a semester or more off their tuition if they score high enough on multiple tests.Anne Ryman, The Arizona Republic, Nov. 17, 2009

Reaching Black Men
When Walter M. Kimbrough became president of Philander Smith College, a historically black, private institution in Arkansas, he was dismayed by the graduation rates. “Just looking at all the data on our campus and the low rate of graduation for black men on the campus it was in the teens I asked people, 'What are we doing about this?' ” he says. Philander Smith in 2007 launched its Black Male Initiative, a low-budget but institution-wide, presidential-level program aimed at personally reaching the black men on campus. Elizabeth Redden, Inside Higher Education, July 14, 2009

Black graduation gap grows Maryland universities

African-American students are falling further behind their peers at state universities, according to data released yesterday that show a widening gap in graduation rates despite efforts to close it. The state university system reported that 40 percent of black students earn a degree within six years of entering college, compared with 65 percent of all students. That 25-point gap is a significant increase over three years ago, when the gap was 15 percentage points.

The Baltimore Sun, 3/20/2009

Colleges Sharpen Focus on Freshmen
by Jay Mathews
When a rural Mississippi college realized it was retaining only half of its freshmen into their sophomore year, and even fewer were staying until graduation, it put into motion a program that targets at-risk freshmen to build early success. The program worked, and other schools are following suit to try to improve their retention and graduation rates.
The Washington Post, 4/4/2005

An L.A. 'posse' passes its Iowa test
by Duke Helfand
Eight disadvantaged students from the Los Angeles, Calif., area overcome cultural and academic challenges to graduate from Grinnell College in Iowa. Read the students' journey in this piece.
The Los Angeles Times, 6/4/2008

Students Fail - and Professor Loses Job
by Scott Jaschik
Who is to blame when students fail? If many students fail - a majority even - does that demonstrate faculty incompetence, or could it point to a problem with standards? These are the questions at the center of a dispute that cost Steven D. Aird his job teaching biology at Norfolk State University in Va.
Inside Higher Ed, 5/14/2008

Studying the world's largest college system
by Matt Krupnick
The California community college system has grown unwieldy when it needs to be flexible. The Contra Costa Times examines the overwhelming challenges facing community colleges. Stories explore links between vocational programs and California's economy, the obstacles that prevent students from transferring to universities and the startling math and English problems that have come to overload colleges. In addition, it looks at the choices perplexing lawmakers, administrators and educators, and some solutions that might make a two-year education practical and meaningful.
The Contra Costa Times, 3/23/2008

Addressing the divide
by Gadi Dechter
Maryland's black colleges have experienced troubling declines in traditional measures of academic performance. Only 38 percent of freshmen at Maryland's black colleges graduate within six years from any state campus - about half the 71 percent graduation rate at the state's majority-white schools.
The Baltimore Sun, 1/6/2008

Towson scraps gender effort
by Gadi Dechter
Citing high attrition rates, Towson University says it will discontinue an unusual admissions program that was designed to attract male students by admitting applicants with lower grades but higher SAT scores. Launched in the fall of 2005, the experiment was designed to address concerns about declining enrollment of males, who make up 42 percent of the U.S. college population and 40 percent at Towson.
The Baltimore Sun, 10/25/2007

Limits put on dropped courses
by Matthew Tresaugue
A new Texas law will prevent incoming freshmen at state colleges and universities from dropping as many courses they like.
The Houston Chronicle, 9/16/2007

Colleges try to ease path for freshmen
by John Pope
Dillard University's establishment of the Division of Student Success is part of a national trend in which colleges and universities are paying attention to the importance of holding on to the students they recruit. One reason such services are being set up is because of pressure from accrediting organizations and the federal Department of Education to show how students fare once they have enrolled and, if necessary, to help them.
New Orleans Times-Picayune, 7/23/2007

In California, Community College Graduation Rates Disappoint
by Justin Pope
For most of history, higher education has been reserved for a tiny elite. For a glimpse of a future where college is open to all, visit California -- the place that now comes closest to that ideal. The state ranks near the top in terms of getting students in the door of higher education. The only problem is that its batting average moving them out -- either with a degree or by transferring to a four-year school -- ranks near the bottom.
Associated Press via The Washington Post, 7/14/2007

The Belmont 112, 20 years later
by Dale Mezzacappa
On a sweltering June day in 1987, philanthropists George and Diane Weiss gave the 112 sixth-graders at Belmont Elementary School, located in one of Philadelphia's most impoverished neighborhoods, the gift of a lifetime: free college tuition and a helping hand to get there. Two decades later, about 60 percent of those students are high school graduates, about 40 percent earned some kind of post-secondary degree and all of their lives have been affected.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/22/2007

Undergrads getting to help with research
Traditionally, undergraduate education has taken place in the classroom, while research has been for graduate students and faculty. No more. Among the reasons: there's some evidence that research gives an extra boost to groups that fall off track at higher rates, such as minorities and women interested in science careers.
Associated Press via USA Today, 2/6/2007

Uphill Climb
by David Epstein
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans' historically black institutions, with their relatively slight endowments and heavily damaged campuses, face a steep uphill climb if they are to survive as anything more than a shadow of their former selves.
Inside Higher Ed, 12/15/2005