Other Report

This study examines the alignment of the American College Testing (ACT) and the American Diploma Project (ADP) national college readiness standards sets with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English language arts and reading (TEKS ELAR) standards for 9th-12th grade students, and their cognitive complexity. It was determined that a majority of the content in the ACT and ADP standards sets is addressed to some extent by the TEKS ELAR standards, and that the TEKS ELAR standards require higher levels of cognitive complexity than the other standards sets.

This report assesses the efficacy of specific types of school-based and work-based initiatives on students with disabilities. Data analysis was conducted with national longitudinal data. The results suggest that the various initiatives (job shadowing, mentoring, internships, career major etc) effectively facilitate vocational success for this population. School-based programs were associated with stable and full-time employment, and work-based programs typically increased the likelihood that youth with disabilities will gain employment with fringe benefits.

This report analyzes the effect of vocational education on high school students’ academic effort and graduation rates. International cross-section data showed that nations (e.g. graduation rates from upper secondary school in Europe, Australia and North America and the correlation with enrollment in career-tech programs) that enroll a large portion of high school students in vocational programs have higher attendance rates and high school completion rates.

This 2012 report update provides a number of key findings that demonstrate the U.S. continues to make progress in curbing high school dropout, with more than half of states increasing graduation rates. Among the findings, the report notes that the number of "dropout factory" high schools decreased by 457 between 2002 and 2010; the number of “dropout factories” totaled number declined by 84 between 2009 and 2010. As a result, 790,000 fewer students attended dropout factories in 2010 than 2002.

This study explores the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and educational attainment (the likelihood of dropping out of high school and college completion) among white and black youth. In general, youth in higher-quality neighborhoods are less likely to drop out of high school and more likely to complete college. Neighborhood characteristics significantly contribute to the likelihood of disadvantaged black youth dropping out of high school but are not significantly related to their college attainment.

Using a nationally representative sample of high school seniors this study suggests that college enrollment is influenced by socioeconomic status, academic achievement variables, aspirations of family and friends for the student to attend college, college- linking activities, and parent and peer networks.

A report from the National High School Center and the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) found that ninth grade course performance is more predictive of high school graduation for English Language Learners (ELLs) in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) than other ELL-specific indicators, including English language proficiency level and whether students experienced interruptions in their education. The study also found that ELL students who were newcomers to CPS after age 12 were less likely to graduate than other students with the same grades and attendance.

This study examines how much 6th-12th grade students who reported plans to attend college and their parents knows about the cost of attending college, and the level of college preparation they undergo. Parent and youth survey data is analyzed and the study reveals that many middle and high school students and their parents, particularly parents with lower income and education level, do not have an accurate idea of the cost of college tuition, and students that were involved in family decision making were more inclined to gather information about college.