Posts published in April, 2013
Interstate Credit Mechanism For MOOCS
A group of higher-education leaders, accreditors, and regulators led by former Education Secretary Richard Riley is seeking to streamline distance-education and state-authorization regulations to make it easier and more affordable for colleges to enroll students across the country. The group’s report proposes a plan for interstate reciprocity, based on the voluntary participation of states and colleges. (Chronicle of Higher Education, 04/11/13)
Why Do Catholic Colleges Have Higher Completion?
Career Pathways: A Strategy to Increase Black and Latino Four-Year Graduation Rates
This commentary highlights findings from a study recently completed comparing minority graduation rates of NYC-area Catholic colleges and public universities. The authors argue that the reason why the Catholic colleges are doing better than the CUNY schools is because of a difference in college cultures, and, in particular, an emphasis on career development. Their surveys and interviews provide evidence that the NYC-area Catholic colleges offer a model to schools wishing to improve graduation rates among minority and first-generation populations.
Source: Teachers College Record
Transfer From 4 Year to 2 Year College Is Risky Business
Reverse transfer report from the National Student Clearinghouse
Reverse transfer students (specifically, those who move from four-year to two-year institutions outside of summer months) are the subject of this report from the National Student Clearinghouse. According to the report, more than half of the examined reverse transfer students did not return to the four-year sector by the end of the six-year study period, and only one in 10 complete a degree. Check out the full report for more details on the pathways and outcomes of this student population.
Next Generation k-12 Science Standards Will Impact Postsecondary Education
On Tuesday, April 9, the final Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a new set of voluntary, rigorous, and internationally benchmarked standards for K-12 science education, were released.
Twenty six states and their broad-based teams worked together for two years with a 41-member writing team and partners to develop the standards which identify science and engineering practices and content that all K-12 students should master in order to be fully prepared for college, careers and citizenship. The NGSS were built upon a vision for science education established by the Framework for K-12 Science Education, published by the National Academies’ National Research Council in 2011.
These standards are much more interdisciplinary with a focus on how insights from many disciplines fit together into a coherent understanding. But college entrance requirements remain organized around discrete disciplines like biology and chemistry as separate subjects.
$10,000 College Degree Hard To Get In 4 years
Designing $10,000 Degrees Tests Colleges
Since Texas Gov. Rick Perry challenged institutions to create $10,000 degrees, 13 such programs have been established across the state. But cost creep has marked some of the programs. To attain the degrees at their lowest advertised cost, students must clear significant hurdles — accruing college credits while in high school, maintaining good grades, taking heavy course loads, or receiving federal aid. (San Antonio Express-News, 04/07/13)
Public Financial Support For College Drops 13% In Decade.
STUDENTS FOOTING MORE OF THE BILL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
The “public” component of public higher education is rapidly eroding, with public colleges now getting more than 43 percent of their revenues from student tuition as opposed to state and local taxpayers, compared to less than 30 percent as recently as a decade ago.The figures come from a new report out Friday offering the latest snapshot of who pays the bill for America’s public colleges and universities, which educate roughly 70 percent of students. SHEEO, a group representing state higher education officials, finds that amid surging demand for college, per-student state and local funding for higher education has fallen 12.5 percent over the last five years and reached its lowest point in the 25 years of the study. The article is in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Why Community Colleges Grew From 1969-2002
The Growth of Community Colleges in the American States: An Application of Count Models to Institutional Growth
The authors use a panel data set covering all 50 states from the years 1969-2002 to investigate the growth of community colleges. They find that community college expansion was driven in large part by changes in state populations, while growth was slowed by competition from other institutions.
Stanford to Join Harvard, MIT in Online Education
Stanford University announced that it is joining forces with Harvard and MIT on developing a computer system that allows colleges to offer free massive open online courses, or MOOCS. Stanford still plans to offer some of its courses through Coursera, a commercial Internet course provider founded by two Stanford professors. (Boston Globe, 04/03/13)
Starting Salaries Vary By College Attended
Report: Earnings of Colorado college grads vary widely by major and institution
The latest College Measures report on earnings of college graduates looks at data from Colorado, where those receiving an associate of applied sciences degree typically out-earn those with a bachelor’s degree during their first year of work. Institution also matters: median first-year income for a business administration major from the University of Colorado Denver is $43,500, compared with $59,600 for graduates with the same degree from the University of Denver. College Measures is a joint venture of AIR and the Matrix Knowledge Group.
How To Defend A College With Zero Graduation Rate.
Higher Ed Watch
It’s not often that you see members of Congress defending a college with a zero percent graduation rate. But that is exactly what is happening for Oregon’s Marylhurst University. Both of the state’s Senators and three of its representatives recently wrote a letter to the Department of Education defending the University against claims from the Department’s own College Scorecard that it has a 0% graduation rate. [Full Article
The defense has merit because the college is for part time students, and US Ed Dept counts graduation rates only for first time, full time students. I wonder when US Ed Dept will finally get around to using a more sensible measure.
