Identifying potential dropouts: Key lessons for building an early warning data system
From Achieve, Inc., the context of this white paper are the “dual goals” of high school improvement - raising high school graduation rates while simultaneously raising academic standards. This paper specifically addresses the dropout question by identifying the characteristics of students who drop out, why they do, and the impact of school practices on these decisions. It also discusses the value of building an early warning data system to help target interventions towards at-risk students and reduce the likelihood of them dropping out. [Read the paper]

Teens and technology: Youth are leading the transition to a fully wired and mobile nation
This publication from the Pew Internet & American Life project reports the results of a survey of more than 1,000 parent/child pairs that captured patterns of teen internet and cell phone use by ethnicity, age, and income. Some of the findings: More than half of teens use the internet daily, nearly half have a cell phone, and instant messaging and cell phone text messaging are growing in popularity as communication vehicles. Although the report shows that the percentage of teens using the internet has increased from 73% in 2000 to 87% in 2004, African-American and lower-income teens lag behind their counterparts. [Read the report]

Internet inequalities: Financial aid, the Internet, and low-income students
In this report, to be published in August 2006 in American Behavioral Scientist, Kristan Venegas examines the web-based financial aid resources available to low-income students as they build perceptions, make decisions, and engage in financial aid activities. Findings suggest that low-income students do have access to computers but still lack the knowledge and support needed to navigate financial aid resources online. [Read the report]

Institutional grants and baccalaureate degree attainment
By exploring the linkages between the receipt of institutional need- and merit-based grants in the first year of college and degree completion within six years for the entering class of 1995-96, this report from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators attempts to shed light on the question of whether and how institutional grant aid affects students’ persistence toward bachelor’s degrees. Findings show that, after controlling for student characteristics and institutional selectivity, institutional grant aid is a positive predictor of graduating within six years. [Read the report]

Merit aid and college access
In a paper for WISCAPE's Symposium on the Consequences of Merit-Based Student Aid, Donald Heller gives an overview of the growing trend, especially among higher education institutions and state governments, of using academic merit as the primary criterion for the awarding of grant aid, rather than financial need. The paper analyzes the characteristics of students who receive merit grants, the likely impact of this trend on college access, and concludes with thoughts regarding the long-term impact of these changes. [Read the paper]

Achieving equitable educational outcomes with all students: The institution’s roles and responsibilities
This paper, one of three commissioned as part of the Association of American Colleges & Universities' Making Excellence Inclusive intitiative, discusses the responsibility institutions have to examine the impact of their practices on students historically underserved by higher education. Given the persistent achievement gap, institutions must use data to gather evidence of what does and does not work for traditionally underserved students and build institutional reform around this evidence. The paper also examines one tool that colleges can use to assess and rectify race/ethnicity-based acheivement gaps on their campuses. [Read the paper]

Working their way through college: Student employment and its impact on the college experience
During the 2003-04 academic year, 78% of undergraduates worked while they were enrolled. Part-time students, older students, low-income students, and students from underrepresented minority groups spent more time at work, on average, than others, but surprisingly large shares of white and upper-income students worked more than 20 hours a week. This American Council on Education issue brief answers these and other key questions about how work affects undergraduates’ college experiences. [Read the issue brief]

P-16 data systems: An alignment status report
In this report, the Data Quality Campaign argues for the importance of longitudinal data systems that link P-12 and postsecondary education. Such systems allow states to answer crucial questions, such as: What is the flow of students through the pipeline? What helps students move successfully through key transition points? How is college success related to high school courses, grades, and test scores? Several states are highlighted as promising examples and links to a number of resources are provided. [Read the report]