California schools live and breathe by a single number: their Academic Performance Index, or API, score. The number, based on a complex math formula that considers students’ proficiency levels on state tests, determines whether the school receives praise (or sanctions) and parents’ admiration (or indifference). But what it doesn’t identify is student achievement growth from year tContinue Reading »

The cost of college for students goes up every time they’re placed in a remedial course or they lose credits because of a transfer, says Teresa Lubbers, Indiana’s Commissioner for Higher Education. “It is abundantly clear that whatever we’re doing in remediation isn’t working,” she said, while testifying at the U.S. House Education and Workforce Development subcommittee hearing. She encouraged Continue Reading »

So Google doesn’t know everything. This writer tries to answer the question: How many college students never finish school? She ends up with a bottle of aspirin. Education Sector’s Anne Hyslop would sympathize. She has argued for the 4 Ts of edu-data (timely, thorough, tailored, and transparent) to save folks these exact headaches. (The Atlantic)

To tweed or not to tweed? A Notre Dame faContinue Reading »

NCLB waivers lack specifics on ELT. Expanded learning time is often listed as a possible reform strategy among the applications from the 11 first-round states granted waivers last fall to the federal No Child Left Behind law. However, a new report shows that very few, if any, states fully articulate their plans to use the extended time wisely. As Education Sector’s Elena Silva recently pointed Continue Reading »

In honor of Dr. Seuss’ 108th birthday, we’ve attached some favorite lines from his stories to today’s Quick Hits. Happy birthday, Theodor Seuss Geisel!

“Today is your day, your mountain is waiting. So get on your way.” U.S. News & World Report will consider new, more relevant data, like graduation rates and net price, in their annual college rankings. Colleges are required to report Continue Reading »

Keeping tabs on higher ed. We’ve said for a long time that higher education needs more transparency; now the NYT joins the chorus. Students and families need more and better data so they can make informed decisions about college costs. Education Sector’s Rachel Fishman explains more about the potential behind the proposed “College Scorecard” here. (New York Times)

BeyonContinue Reading »

Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with the leaders of a large chain of beauty schools for a conversation about rethinking accountability for for-profit colleges. They presented an interesting proposal that would judge colleges by setting clear and universal definitions on a few key metrics, improving the ability of accreditors to audit and verify that information, disclosing that infContinue Reading »

On Tuesday, Higher Ed Watch released its fourth annual Academic BCS–a poll that reranks the top college football teams using academic indicators, rather than athletic accomplishments.* The list looks a bit different this year, largely because typical top academic performers Boston College and Penn State had bad seasons this year and aren’t ranked. Instead, this year’s top spotContinue Reading »

The loudest objections to the federal graduation rate always come from the schools that do worst under the measure–typically non-selective or open access institutions. The chief complaints raised by these schools is that the federal methodology penalizes them for students who transfer away and graduate elsewhere, while also not rewarding them for successfully taking in and graduating studContinue Reading »

One benefit of the Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) data released last week is that it reports students’ entering degree program, not just the type of institution they first attended. This allows us to get a much better comparative picture of attainment rates at sub-baccalaureate institutions, specifically for-profit colleges versus community colleges.

While current federal dContinue Reading »