Archive
WWC Review of the Report “The Effects of Student Coaching in College: An Evaluation of a Randomized Experiment in Student Mentoring”
Source: U.S. Department of Education
What is this study about?
The study examined whether InsideTrack, a personalized student coaching service for college students, increased rates of staying in and graduating from college. It determined InsideTrack’s effectiveness by comparing the outcomes of students who were randomly selected through one of 17 lotteries to receive InsideTrack with the outcomes of students who were not selected.
What did the study find?
For students in the seven lotteries that were well-executed, the study found that students assigned to receive InsideTrack were significantly more likely than students in the comparison group to remain enrolled at their institutions six, 12, and 18 months after random assignment. For three lotteries with longer-term follow-up data, there was no significant difference between the groups in enrollment 24 months after random assignment or college completion within four years.
For the full set of 17 lotteries, which includes both those that were well-executed and those in which random assignment was compromised, the results were similar six, 12, and 18 months after random assignment. For the 12 lotteries with longer-term follow-up data, the difference in enrollment between the groups 24 months after random assignment was significantly different.
Heterogeneity in Discrimination?: A Field Experiment
Heterogeneity in Discrimination?: A Field Experiment
Source: Social Science Research Network
We provide evidence from the field that levels of discrimination are heterogeneous across contexts in which we might expect to observe bias. We explore how discrimination varies in its extent and source through an audit study including over 6,500 professors at top U.S. universities drawn from 89 disciplines and 258 institutions. Faculty in our field experiment received meeting requests from fictional prospective doctoral students who were randomly assigned identity-signaling names (Caucasian, Black, Hispanic, Indian, Chinese; male, female). Faculty response rates indicate that discrimination against women and minorities is both prevalent and unevenly distributed in academia. Discrimination varies meaningfully by discipline and is more extreme in higher paying disciplines and at private institutions. These findings raise important questions for future research about how and why pay and institutional characteristics may relate to the manifestation of bias. They also suggest that past audit studies may have underestimated the prevalence of discrimination in the United States. Finally, our documentation of heterogeneity in discrimination suggests where targeted efforts to reduce discrimination in academia are most needed and highlights that similar research may help identify areas in other industries where efforts to reduce bias should focus.
A Record One-in-Five Households Now Owe Student Loan Debt
A Record One-in-Five Households Now Owe Student Loan Debt
Source: Pew Social & Demographic Trends
About one out of five (19%) of the nation’s households owed student debt in 2010, more than double the share two decades earlier1 and a significant rise from the 15% that owed such debt in 2007, just prior to the onset of the Great Recession, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of newly available government data.
The Pew Research analysis also finds that a record 40% of all households headed by someone younger than age 35 owe such debt, by far the highest share among any age group.
It also finds that, whether computed as a share of household income or assets, the relative burden of student loan debt is greatest for households in the bottom fifth of the income spectrum, even though members of such households are less likely than those in other groups to attend college in the first place.
Since 2007 the incidence of student debt has increased in nearly every demographic and economic category, as has the size of that debt.
Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students
Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Despite efforts to recruit and retain more women, a stark gender disparity persists within academic science. Abundant research has demonstrated gender bias in many demographic groups, but has yet to experimentally investigate whether science faculty exhibit a bias against female students that could contribute to the gender disparity in academic science. In a randomized double-blind study (n = 127), science faculty from research-intensive universities rated the application materials of a student—who was randomly assigned either a male or female name—for a laboratory manager position. Faculty participants rated the male applicant as significantly more competent and hireable than the (identical) female applicant. These participants also selected a higher starting salary and offered more career mentoring to the male applicant. The gender of the faculty participants did not affect responses, such that female and male faculty were equally likely to exhibit bias against the female student. Mediation analyses indicated that the female student was less likely to be hired because she was viewed as less competent. We also assessed faculty participants’ preexisting subtle bias against women using a standard instrument and found that preexisting subtle bias against women played a moderating role, such that subtle bias against women was associated with less support for the female student, but was unrelated to reactions to the male student. These results suggest that interventions addressing faculty gender bias might advance the goal of increasing the participation of women in science.
Employees in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2011 and Student Financial Aid, Academic Year 2010–11 – First Lo ok (Provisional Data)
Source: National Center for Education Statistics
This provisional First Look is a revised version of the preliminary report released August 7, 2012. it presents fully edited and imputed data findings on the number of staff employed in Title IV postsecondary institutions in fall 2011 by occupational category, length of contract/teaching period, employment status, faculty and tenure status, academic rank, race/ethnicity, and gender. The report also contains data on student financial aid, including the number of undergraduate students receiving aid and the amount of aid received by those students for the 2010-11 academic year.
SAT Report: Only 43 Percent of 2012 College-Bound Seniors Are College Ready
SAT Report: Only 43 Percent of 2012 College-Bound Seniors Are College Ready
Source: College Board
More than ever, the population of students taking the SAT reflects the diverse makeup of America’s classrooms.
Among SAT takers in the class of 2012:
- 45 percent were minority students (up from 44 percent in the class of 2011 and 38 percent in the class of 2008) making this the most diverse class of SAT takers ever
- Among public school SAT takers in the class of 2012, 46 percent were minority students, up from 39 percent five years ago
- 28 percent reported that English was not exclusively their first language (up from 27 percent in the class of 2011 and 24 percent in the class of 2008).
- Among public school SAT takers in the class of 2012, 25 percent reported that English was not exclusively their first language, up from 23 percent five years ago.
- 36 percent of all students reported their parents’ highest level of education as a high school diploma or less.
NCES Releases New Data on Postsecondary Tuition, Fees and Degrees
NCES Releases New Data on Postsecondary Tuition, Fees and Degrees
Source: National Center for Education Statistics
This provisional First Look is a revised version of the preliminary report released July 12, 2012. it presents fully edited and imputed data findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) fall 2011 collection, which included three survey components: Institutional Characteristics for the 2011-12 academic year, Completions covering the period July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, and data on 12-Month Enrollment for the 2010-11 academic year.
The Indentured Generation: Bankruptcy and Student Loan Debt
The Indentured Generation: Bankruptcy and Student Loan Debt (Word .doc)
Source: Northeastern University (Daniel A. Austin)
A generation of Americans has borrowed heavily for their education, and hundreds of thousands of them are deeply in debt. Some 37 million Americans owe a total of approximately $1 trillion dollars in student loans. They constitute an Indentured Generation as many of them will be burdened with student loan debt for much of their lives. Some will eventually pay their loans, many will default, and others will receive loan modification or partial loan forgiveness. By and large, their participation in the credit economy will be severely limited. Members of the Indentured Generation who are in particularly dire circumstances will turn to bankruptcy for a “fresh start.” But, with few exceptions, student loan debtors will not get relief through bankruptcy. The relief that is provided for most debts under the United States Bankruptcy Code (“Code”) is not available for student loan debt. Because of this, education debt servitude will last a lifetime for tens of thousands of Indentured Generation.
Military Friendly Schools – 2013
Military Friendly Schools – 2013
The 2013 Military Friendly Schools® list honors the top 15% of schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s military students and ensure their success on campus.Our annual list of is compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 12,000 VA-approved schools nationwide.
The state of medical education and practice in the UK report: 2012
The state of medical education and practice in the UK report: 2012
Source: General Medical Council (UK)
This is our second annual report on the state of medical education and practice in the UK.
It sets out much of what we know about the medical profession and the challenges it faces, drawing on our own data and, where appropriate, data from other sources.
Our aim in publishing this is to promote discussion and debate on issues and trends that require attention or further analysis, to improve standards of medical practice.
This year our report is accompanied by an online data app, which allows you to conduct your own analysis on some of the data from the report.
Research updates on private student loans
Research updates on private student loans
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Last month, we released a report to Congress with the Department of Education on the private student market. This report helped shed light on how the private student loan market works and where there are opportunities for improvement.
When we design a form or develop a regulation, we work to gather continuous feedback. The same goes for our reports. Since releasing the private student loan report, we’ve been talking to researchers, consumer groups, and industry players to share our results and get feedback. Based on this feedback, we developed ways to make better estimates on certain market statistics, particularly in areas where our data set was incomplete.
While there aren’t any changes to the key findings and recommendations, we released an update today to reflect new methodologies our research team used to calculate some statistics in the report: first, the proportion of private student loan borrowers who exhausted their Federal Stafford Loan options; and second, the extent to which schools certified a borrower’s need for a private student loan.
Compared to the original estimates, the update shows that the number of borrowers who exhausted their federal options is lower than our original estimate, and the level of school certification is higher.
U.S. News Best Colleges 2013
U.S. News Best Colleges 2013
Source: U.S. News and World Report
The 2013 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings is out, with stability at the very top of both the National Universities and National Liberal Arts Colleges lists.
Harvard University and Princeton University remained tied for the top spot in this year’s list of Best National Universities, which are typically large institutions that focus on research and grant bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Williams College still reigns as the lone No. 1 among National Liberal Arts Colleges, schools that emphasize undergraduate education and grant at least half their degrees in liberal arts majors such as philosophy, English, and history.
There was slight movement right below the top National Universities. Last year’s five-way tie for fifth dissolved, with the University of Chicago bumping up to tie with Columbia University at fourth and the California Institute of Technology sliding down to 10th. Further down the rankings, one of the biggest moves was made by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which leapt nine spots from a tie at 50th to a tie at 41st.
Among the National Liberal Arts Colleges, Vassar College jumped up four spots to crack the top 10, tying with Claremont McKenna College. Harvey Mudd College rose from 18th to tie for 12th, and Bard College moved up 15 spots, from a tie at 51st to a tie at 36th.
The top-ranked Regional Universities—schools that offer many undergraduate degrees, some master’s, and few doctoral programs—also continued their strongholds in each quadrant of the country: Villanova University remains first in the North, while Rollins College, Creighton University, and Trinity University remain at the top in the South, Midwest, and West, respectively.
There was some juggling, however, among the top Regional Colleges—schools that grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines and, like the Regional Universities, are grouped into four geographic quadrants. In the North, Cooper Union nudged out the United States Coast Guard Academy for the top spot, and down South, High Point University outseated John Brown University. The top Regional Colleges in the Midwest and West, Taylor University and Carroll College, remained in the same spots from last year.
Washington Monthly — The 2012 College Rankings
Source: Washington Monthly
Welcome to the Washington Monthly College Guide and Rankings. Unlike U.S. News and World Report and similar guides, this one asks not what colleges can do for you, but what colleges are doing for the country. Are they educating low-income students, or just catering to the affluent? Are they improving the quality of their teaching, or ducking accountability for it? Are they trying to become more productive—and if so, why is average tuition rising faster than health care costs? Every year we lavish billions of tax dollars and other public benefits on institutions of higher learning. This guide asks: Are we getting the most for our money?
International Collaborations of Scientists and Engineers in the United States
International Collaborations of Scientists and Engineers in the United States
Source: National Science Foundation
International collaboration is a key aspect of the globalization of science and engineering (S&E). In 2006, according to the Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT), one in six scientists and engineers in the United States reported working with individuals in other countries (table 1).[2] International collaboration was more likely to occur among persons working in the for-profit sector, men, and those with higher levels of educational attainment. Individuals who earned postsecondary degrees both in the United States and abroad reported the highest levels of international collaboration.
What Can a Multifaceted Program Do for Community College Students?
What Can a Multifaceted Program Do for Community College Students?
Source: MDRC
In recent years, there has been unprecedented national focus on the importance of increasing the stubbornly low graduation rates of community college students. Most reforms that have been tried are short-term and address one or only a few barriers to student success. The City University of New York’s (CUNY’s) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), launched in 2007 with funding from Mayor Bloomberg’s Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO), is an uncommonly multifaceted and long-term program designed to help community college students graduate.
ASAP requires students to attend college full time and provides a rich array of supports and incentives for up to three years, with a goal of graduating at least 50 percent of students within three years. Unlike many programs, ASAP aims to simultaneously address multiple barriers to student success over many semesters. The program model includes some block-scheduled classes for ASAP students for the first year of the program; an ASAP seminar for at least the first year, which covers such topics as goal-setting and academic planning; comprehensive advisement; tutoring; career services; a tuition waiver that covers any gap between a student’s financial aid and tuition and fees; free MetroCards for use on public transportation; and free use of textbooks.
This report presents very promising early findings from a random assignment study of ASAP at three CUNY community colleges: Borough of Manhattan, Kingsborough, and LaGuardia. For the study, ASAP targets low-income students who need one or two developmental (remedial) courses to build their reading, writing, or math skills. The study compares ASAP with regular services and classes at the colleges.
Characteristics of Recent Science and Engineering Graduates: 2008
Characteristics of Recent Science and Engineering Graduates: 2008
Source: National Science Foundation
This report presents data from the 2008 National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG) on the characteristics of men and women who received bachelor’s or master’s degrees in science, engineering, or health fields from U.S. institutions during the two academic years 2006 and 2007. The data reflect the employment, educational, and demographic status of individuals as of the survey reference week of 1 October 2008.
The data presented in this report measure the number of individuals with recently acquired science, engineering, and health degrees and do not necessarily coincide with the data on degree completions from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). IPEDS is conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. The IPEDS completions data file represents a count of degrees that graduates were awarded, whereas the NSRCG data represent estimates of graduates (persons).
The data tables present information on the number and median salaries of recent graduates by field of major, occupation, and various demographic characteristics. Tables are presented separately for bachelor’s and master’s degree recipients. Complementary tables for the two degree levels are numbered sequentially so that odd-numbered tables are for bachelor’s degree recipients and even-numbered tables are for master’s degree recipients.
The Effect of Law School Marketing Materials on U.S. News and World Report Rankings
The Effect of Law School Marketing Materials on U.S. News and World Report Rankings
Source: Social Science Research Network
In the last few years, law schools have inundated each other with glossy brochures, postcards, magazines, and other marketing materials in an attempt to influence their “peer assessment scores” in the annual U.S. News and World Report rankings. This article describes a study that attempted to determine whether law schools’ print marketing efforts to one another have an impact on their U.S. News rankings data. From June to December 2011, the author’s school collected and coded all of the materials it had received from schools, including materials that it itself had sent to others. In total, 427 unique pieces of marketing were received from 125 of the 191 schools that were the subjects of this study. They varied considerably in size, format, content, and audience. A number of statistical tests were conducted to compare a school’s marketing efforts with its overall rank, overall score, peer assessment score, and tier, along with any change in those variables from the 2011 rankings to the 2012 ones. The results showed that there was some correlation between a school’s marketing efforts and its U.S. News data. Schools that sent marketing materials had, on average, higher tier placement and peer assessment scores; however, there was not a significant change in year-to-year rankings variables. The number of pieces a school sent during the study period was, for the most part, not significant. On the other hand, the number of pages in its materials was correlated with a number of U.S. News variables. Schools that sent longer, magazine-type publications geared towards a specific audience had higher U.S. News scores and also showed a slight improvement in their overall score between the two years of rankings data in this study. However, it is possible that a co-variate, such as institutional financial resources, may be causing the results. Additional study is needed to determine whether marketing materials have a longer-term effect on U.S. News ranking variables that cannot be captured in a one year study.
New FSG report: Keeping the Promise of Opportunity
New FSG report: Keeping the Promise of Opportunity
Source: FSG (Foundation Strategy Group)
Financial aid and the ability to use it effectively plays a critical role in college enrollment and completion. As the cost of attending college has skyrocketed past family incomes in recent decades, access to financial aid is critical to ensure access to post-secondary education for low-income young adults. Yet, the current U.S. financial aid system presents a number of significant barriers for these students, and trends in aid are exacerbating the inequality that already exists in post-secondary education today.
Keeping the Promise of Opportunity, a new report from FSG, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reflects interviews with national and state experts on financial aid—including policymakers, college leaders, financial aid officers, service providers, funders, and researchers—to explore the challenges low-income young adults face in accessing and using financial aid. The report also explores related trends contributing to inequality in post-secondary education today, as well as potential approaches to helping students overcome these barriers.
This report provides funders with recommendations from the field as to where support is most urgently needed to redesign financial aid to support post-secondary access and completion amongst low-income young adults.
Using Real-World Examples to Enhance the Relevance of the Introductory Statistics Course
Using Real-World Examples to Enhance the Relevance of the Introductory Statistics Course
Source: Social Science Research Network
This paper discusses various cases, stories, and examples involving the use of statistics that can add excitement to an introductory statistics course. Teaching statistics as a mathematics course does not work for students interested in careers in business and accounting. What is needed, the authors feel, are attention-grabbing examples. The authors provide instructors with interesting material for making a statistics course exciting and relevant.
The Mindset List – 2016
The Mindset List – 2016
Source: Beloit College
This year’s entering college class of 2016 was born into cyberspace and they have therefore measured their output in the fundamental particles of life: bits, bytes, and bauds. They have come to political consciousness during a time of increasing doubts about America’s future, and are entering college bombarded by questions about jobs and the value of a college degree. They have never needed an actual airline “ticket,” a set of bound encyclopedias, or Romper Room. Members of this year’s freshman class, most of them born in 1994, are probably the most tribal generation in history and they despise being separated from contact with friends. They prefer to watch television everywhere except on a television, have seen a woman lead the U.S. State Department for most of their lives, and can carry school books–those that are not on their e-Readers–in backpacks that roll.
The class of 2016 was born the year of the professional baseball strike and the last year for NFL football in Los Angeles. They have spent much of their lives helping their parents understand that you don’t take pictures on “film” and that CDs and DVDs are not “tapes.” Those parents have been able to review the crime statistics for the colleges their children have applied to and then pop an Aleve as needed. In these students’ lifetimes, with MP3 players and iPods, they seldom listen to the car radio. A quarter of the entering students already have suffered some hearing loss. Since they’ve been born, the United States has measured progress by a 2 percent jump in unemployment and a 16-cent rise in the price of a first class postage stamp.
Each August since 1998, Beloit College has released the Beloit College Mindset List, providing a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college this fall.
